DIT has a new research centre that helps protect Ireland's built environment from our difficult weather, writes Mireia Pomar.
An umbrella helps to keep the rain off, but not if you are a major structure like the Ha'penny Bridge. Finding novel ways to conserve the urban architectural heritage like the Ha'penny is the goal of the new Centre for Research in Engineering Surface Technology at Dublin Institute of Technology.
Crest is a research centre specialising in surface coatings and corrosion control technologies. Located at DIT's Focas Institute, it provides a variety of surface protection systems for the architectural, aerospace and manufacturing industries.
"The centre is a link between academic research and industry activity," says Crest director John Colreavy. "On one side we have the consultancy area with small interventions and big industrial contracts. On the other side, we would have PhD programmes and large-scale research on international and national projects," Colreavy says. "The idea of the centre is that it can leverage intellectual capital from the activity."
Crest is a joint initiative established by Enterprise Ireland and DIT. It accommodates more than 80 researchers working in cross-disciplinary research groups and industry centres. It offers a variety of services, from the development of unique materials and surfactants for corrosion control, to the development of coatings for diverse industries. Crest researchers provide analysis and testing of the material before it is used, and corrosion experts develop systems for the design of corrosion resistant alloys for new and existing structures.
One of the projects conducted by DIT researchers a few years ago was the restoration of the Ha'penny Bridge. "The restoration of the Ha'penny Bridge was a full consultancy package," says Colreavy. "That would involve advising Dublin City Council on the design of the restoration, advising on the materials that should be used, and also testing the actual material," he explains. "We also followed up with the full inspection and supervision of the project."
The renewal of the bridge involved the conservation and restoration of the existing railings, replacement of the deck, and a general clean up of the entire structure. There were particular safety concerns about the railings, which had deteriorated badly.
"Every single railing and in-fill bar that you see on top of the bridge was removed, disassembled and labelled, because each bar is unique," explains Colreavy. "The overhead arches were also removed for repair, cleaning and painting."
The new bridge's make-over also included wider entrances at each end with curved granite walls to increase space and safety.
"When we looked at the original paint, we found over 40 to 50 coats of paint done over the lifetime of the bridge," said Colreavy. "We wanted to paint the bridge in the same colour it was originally. We colour matched the very first paint coat, so the final colour is like the very first colour, a cream colour," he says.
The bridge was the only pedestrian bridge up to 2000. It was closed during nine months before its restoration began, early in 2001. Today, more than 30.000 people cross the bridge every day.
The centre has also recently finished the "road signage change-over", which involved changing of all the speed limit signs on the main roads from miles to kilometres. The Crest laboratory tested the new signage before it replaced the old. The project concerned validation, inspection, and the selection of the suppliers.